Early Armenian

Historical Overview Section

Armenia was originally a semi-autonomous province of the Late Achaemenid Persian Empire which passed to the Macedonian Empire after Persia's conquest by the Alexandrian Macedonians. From 301 BC Armenia passed into the sphere of influence of the Early Successor Seleucid Empire, but maintained a considerable degree of autonomy under its native rulers. Antiochus III the Great of the Later Seleucids got bored with the idea of autonomy and decided to suppress the local dynasty under Xerxes, who surrendered accepted Antiochus sister Antiochis as a wife. She later murdered Xerxes - ouch!. But, as the ((Later Seleucid)0 Empire unravelled at the edges as they fought the Late Republican Romans, Parthians and Later Macedonians Armenia snuck under the radar and became yet again an independent kingdom from 190 BC to 66 BC, and was a client state of either the Roman, Parthian or (Sassanid Persian)) empires until AD 428.

At its zenith, from 95 to 66 BC, Armenia extended its rule over parts of the Caucasus and the area that is now eastern Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. Tigranes the Great 95 BCEâ€“55 BCE (also called Tigranes II and sometimes Tigranes I) was the king when the country became, for a short time, the strongest state in the Roman East. After it became a Roman province, Armenia was often a focus of contention between Rome and Persia. The Parthians forced Armenia into submission from 37 to 47, when the Romans retook control of the kingdom. The Sassanid Persians occupied Armenia in 252 and held it until the Romans returned in 287. In 387 the kingdom was split between the East Roman Empire and the Persians. Western Armenia quickly became a province of the Roman Empire.

Tactical Tips

This one falls somewhere between a normal horse archer and cataphract army, and a horde of rubbish army.

A lack of steppe terrain means the foot will have somewhere to hide, and they can bulk out numbers, but really the cataphracts are needed to fight as nothing else in the army is that solid.

No-one is quite convinced that the extra troops avaliable for Tigranes make it a worthwhile option, especially as the faux legionaries are only protected - making them little more than drilled Gauls

Khosov I may be a better choice with allies that can either add solid foot (Romans) or enhance the cavalry (Alans and Parthians)

With a limited number of very cheap foot to pad it out, and less Cataphracts its hard to see why you'd take this army in preference to the Parthians

Allied Contingents

Early Armenian (Khosrov I's anti-Sassanid coalition Only) Roman, Principate : Date restrictions 226 to 228 Book: legions Triumphant Page: 6 - 4 legions, 4 auxilia, 4 cavalry as a minimum make this expensive but tough - and all 3 are useful. Make the legions as good as you can afford if you are taking them, and donâ€™t be distracted with the other optinal troops. Adding LF to legion and Auxilia BGs is a good way to use up spare points

Early Armenian (Tigran the Great Only) Media Atropatene : Date restrictions 83 BC to 69 BC Book: Rise of Rome Page: 59 - Up to 8 cataphracts and 24 LH is a good addition

Early Armenian (Tigran the Great Only) Arab, Early : Date restrictions 83 BC to 69 BC Book: Rise of Rome Page: 60 - Well, it has no minima, so you can choose between uninspiring LH and Cv, Poor Bw armed camelry, and some very average Lt Sp/Sw MF. Hoorah!

15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army

Other manufacturers have related ranges - most people carry some Scythian horse archers and some cataphracts. This is teh Parthian selection, which is probably pretty similar to Armenian. Check out the relevant Roman or Greek pages for other troops. A full manufacturers listing is on my 15mm suppliers page.

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